Wizard: My magic facility can be upgraded!

Chapter 199 The Gates of the Underworld

Chapter 199 The Gates of the Underworld

He walked in silently, bowed slightly to Maya and Li Ang, and then sat down alone in a corner, like a stone statue that had lost its soul.

Soon, the doors to the council chamber were pushed open again, and Captain Eric and the members of the joint extermination team filed in.

In addition to the members of the eighth, fourth, and second squads, there was also Elena and her team from Obsidian Tower.

Elena spotted Li Ang standing in front of her immediately. A hint of surprise flashed in her light blue eyes, which quickly turned into a gentle appreciation. She stepped forward, her voice carrying a touch of familiarity: "Li Ang, we meet again. I didn't expect that in such a short time, you would not only become a formal wizard, but also the commander-in-chief of this joint operation."

Li Ang was also deeply impressed by the powerful silver-haired witch with whom he had once competed.

He replied politely, "Captain Elena, it's been a long time. You too have become a fully-fledged wizard and captain capable of handling things on your own."

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, everyone's attention turned to Li Ang.

Seeing that most of the people had arrived, Li Ang surveyed the room, then took a deep breath and said in a low voice, "Gentlemen, the Loki we captured here is merely a meticulously crafted double; the real Loki's whereabouts are currently unknown."

Li Ang's voice echoed in the spacious council chamber.

"From the chaotic fragments of the substitute's memories, the sorceress Celia extracted two key pieces of information: 'open the door,' and 'the Yinming Mountains.'"

Celia nodded slightly, her golden eyes sweeping over everyone as she confirmed, "The information I have obtained is indeed scarce and fragmented, but these two words are highly related and are very likely the key to Loki's core plan."

"Open the door—the Dark Nether Mountains—" Captain Eric murmured, "This 'opening the door' refers to something far more significant."

Just then, Frostheart Maxwell, who had been sitting silently to the side with a pale face, suddenly raised his head, his eyes filled with pain. He spoke in a hoarse voice, "Yes—yes—open the door"—this was Loki's real plan. He told me that he could open the legendary gates of the underworld and not only summon back the souls of the dead, such as Illya—" His voice trembled noticeably as he uttered the queen's name.

"It can also allow all living beings under the power of the gate to combine with suitable ghosts and obtain—immortality."

"Immortality?" Li Ang frowned, pressing, "Please tell me in detail how exactly he seduced you?"

Shuangxin took a deep breath, as if to exhale all the pent-up emotions: "When he first proposed it, I naturally didn't believe such absurd words. But—he demonstrated a miraculous fusion technique"—he fused a seemingly harmless ghost with a condemned prisoner, who not only recovered from his severe injuries but also gained immense strength and renewed energy—he told me that this was just a preliminary attempt, and once the gates of the underworld were fully opened, and a more powerful and compatible ghost descended, people could truly break free from the shackles of death—I—I was blinded by my longing for Ilya and my fear of aging and death—"

"You just believed the dark sorcerer's nonsense like that?" Captain Martin couldn't help but interrupt gruffly.

His face was filled with disbelief and anger. "Just for this ridiculous reason, you assisted the Dark Witch in attacking Lelita?"

Frostheart trembled at Martin's roar, his face drained of color. He lowered his head bitterly: "Yes—I was foolish—I was cowardly—we didn't know what the Dark Witch wanted that thing for. After it happened, I didn't even dare to see the price that had to be paid for this immortality. I used my illness as an excuse to push almost everything onto Gronn—while I was deceiving myself and running away—"

Groon Maxwell, who was in the corner, suddenly looked up, staring at his brother in disbelief with one eye. His lips trembled, but in the end, he only let out a heavy sigh and said nothing.

Captain Eric's mind raced, immediately connecting the discovery to the underground workshop. He asked in a deep voice, "Lady Frostheart, is that spherical device under construction in the underground secret workshop the key to opening this Gate of the Underworld?"

Frostheart nodded weakly: "Yes—Loki said it's the anchor point and amplifier for stabilizing and expanding the gate—according to the plan, it needs to be completed and activated before July 7th next year, the day when the connection between Hades and the mortal world is strongest—"

"July 7th next year—" Maya exclaimed in shock, her emerald eyes filled with lingering fear and anger. She looked at her father, her voice trembling.

"Father! Do you know that Lady Celia foresaw that if the Gates of Hades open in Ironforge, on July 7th next year, all the people of Ironforge will die as a result. That's not immortality, it's slaughter!"

"What?!"

"This—this is impossible!"

Frostheart and Gronn gasped in horror, their faces drained of color. Gronn abruptly stood up, his single eye filled with terror. Celia's cold voice rang out at the opportune moment, like icy water extinguishing their last shred of hope: "The fusion he showed you" is not healing or symbiosis in essence. The wraith is a condensation of negative energy, feeding on the host's life force and soul. In the short term, it can indeed stimulate the body, mask injuries, and even create the illusion of increased power. But this is like drinking poison to quench thirst; the host's life force will be continuously devoured, and the soul will be gradually eroded. When the wraith is powerful enough, or the host is too weak, it can easily take over and completely seize control of the body. The so-called "fusion" is nothing more than a slow possession."

Upon hearing this, Shuangxin realized that his consciousness had indeed been taken over by the ghost he had merged with. His face turned ashen, and his body swayed, almost collapsing.

Gron also stumbled and grabbed the wall for support, his single eye filled with lingering fear.

"I—I almost—I almost became the eternal sinner who killed all my people—" Shuangxin murmured to herself, her mind almost collapsing.

Just then, Gronn seemed to suddenly remember something, his one eye widening as he exclaimed urgently, "Wait! I—I think I overheard Loki mention something—he said that even without that device, outside of a specific time, he had a way to—to force open a door a crack—using certain keys and special locations! Although unstable and short-lived, it was enough for some powerful beings to pass through—now that his plan has been exposed, could it be—"

This possibility made everyone in the council chamber feel uneasy.

"Force the door open—" Li Ang's eyes narrowed.

"So, where? Where would he conduct this dangerous attempt?"

99

Almost simultaneously, that word resurfaced in everyone's minds: the Yinming Mountains.